No Reports Of Hungarians Affected By Coronavirus
- 29 Jan 2020 9:46 AM
- Hungary Matters
Hungary’s foreign ministry has received no reports of any Hungarians affected by coronavirus either in Hungary or abroad, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said.
Speaking at a press conference, the minister said there are currently eight Hungarian citizens residing in China’s Hubei province where the virus emerged, seven of whom plan to leave the region.
They will be evacuated by air, Szijjártó said, adding that European Union member states were coordinating closely on getting their citizens out of the infected areas.
Hungary is in contact with France, Germany and Portugal with a view to arranging the departure of the seven Hungarians from China, he said.
Human Resources Minister Miklós Kásler said earlier that all Hungarian hospitals were ready to treat coronavirus patients if anybody is identified as carrying the virus.
Suspicion has been raised in the case of two patients in Hungary so far, but coronavirus has been excluded in both cases, he told a press conference.
National medical chief officer Cecília Müller noted that whereas coronavirus virus may not be present in Hungary at the current time, the National Public Health Centre (NNK) and staff of regional health authorities stand ready to identify the virus quickly should it enter the country.
Speaking about cases of the virus around the world, senior doctor János Szlávik noted the death rate at around 1-2 % of coronavirus sufferers is much lower than in the case of outbreaks of similar dangerous viruses in the past.
Meanwhile, Liszt Ferenc International operator Budapest Airport has said it is prepared for authorities to implement special control measures at the airport to prevent the spread of the virus.
MTI Photo: Marjai János
Related links
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Public Health Centre Says Coronavirus Epidemic Unlikely In Hungary
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